Apparatus for constructing plastic columns.



A. G. HIGGINS.

APPARATUS IFOR CO-NSTRUCTING PLASTIC COLUMNS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 191'4.

1,156,077., Patented 00.121915.

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A TTORNEY A. G. HIGGINS. APPARATUS FOR CONSTRUCTING PLASTIC COLUMNS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16 1914.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

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Il @A IFC@ ALBRT G. HlbrlurINS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE TRUSSWALL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, F KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 0F MISSOURI.

APPARATUS roncoivs'rauorruc PLASTIC COLUMNS.

Specicationof Letters Patent.

l Patented Cet. 12, 1915.

Application iled February 16, 1914. Serial No. 818,848.`

Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Constructing Plastic Columns; and I do de clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw'- ings, and to the letters and figures of `reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specication.

My invention relates to the construction of plastic concrete, and more particularly of built-up columns that are formed by applying plastic cement tothe surface of a preformed core; the object of the presentinvention being to provide an apparatus for building up columns of this character uniformly and with economy of material and labor.

In carrying out my invention I provide structures for supporting the core and the column as the latter is being built, together with guides and forming devices; the preferred forms of whichpare illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure I is a perspective view of an apparatus for supporting a column during the building-up process, and illustrating a partially built-up column, a trowel for applying plastic material to the core, and guides for the trowel. Fig.II is a side elevation of a partially built-u column and one of the guides; the gui e supports and trowel being shown'in vertical section. Fig. III isa vertical section of the column and the apparatus on the line III-III, Fig. II. Fig. IV is a perspective view of the guides and a built-up column, showing the method of building up a bead, or the like, on the column.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 1 designates a shaft which is carried 'in spindles 2 of lathe standards 3, so that the shaft may be revolved, one of the spindles being provided with a gage disk 5, having apertures 6 therein adapted for receiving a pin 7 on a bracket 8 that is fixed to one of the standards, to hold the shaft securely in a desired position..

Located at intervals throughout the length of the shaft 1 are spiders 10, the arms '11 of which have saddles 12 at their outer ends, within which are located the longitudinal core supporting rods 13, over which a sheet of wire mesh, or the like, 111 may be laid to form a foundation or core for the plastic column. It is apparent tha-tthe spacing o r combination ,of the f pider arms may determine the shape of t4 le core, or a preformed shape may be applis l thereto, if desired.

The Wire mesh core is preferably wound with wire 15 to hold the core together and provide reinforcement for the column, or for the plastic material which is applied to the core to form the column.

Supported on each of the standards 3 are cross bars 16, and slidably mounted on the ends of the cross-barsl'are brackets 17 having upstanding yokes 18; the outer members of which are provided, at their upper ends,with heads 19 that carry set screws 20, and slidably mounted in the yokes 18, on the same side of the supporting frame, are guides 22, the upper ledges of which serve to .guide a trowel 23 that builds up and forms a column in the following manner: When it is desired to construct a hexagonal column, the supporting members are combined vas described and the spiders arranged on the carrying shaft, so that the rods 18are--located at the corners of the heXagon; the arms at one end of the frame being longer than those at the plied to'4 the 'spider rods and the reinforcing wire wound thereabout. The guides 22 are then arranged so that their upper edges lie in a arallel plane slightly above that of the sur ace of the core; the guides being raised at one end if necessary to follow the plane of the tapered core. Cement,'in workable condition, is then applied to the core by means of an ordinary trowel, or any other suitable manner, and the trowel 23 moved over the edges of the guidescto level the cement which has been thrown onto the core, new material being supplied as the trowel is moved forwardly, in sufficient quantities to bring the surface of the column up to the level of the guides. When one side of the working a succeeding side, and the operation just described repeated for that side of the column, and again forremaining sides until the core has been entirely surfaced;

After the first `coat has been put on, the

guides maybe raised and another coat applied in the same manner; reinforcing being guides 25 and over the column to build up lmaterial applied to the surface of the column into the bead 28.l

The method heretofore described is one for building up columns, or the like, of plastic material and. shaping the. column during the building-up process, so that there is practically no loss of material on account of the shaping,zas distinguishedv from the cutting down method wherein the column is firstl formed in the rough and material afterward removed to provide the desired configurations.

Having thus described my invention, whatl I claim as new therein, and desire to secure x by Letters-Patent, is :e

1. In an apparatus .for constructing plastic columns, the combination of spaced supports, rotatable means carried by the supports for holding a column member,'cross musgo?? members carried by the supports, means on the cross members for holding guides in adjusted position and-guides carriedkby said means and adapted for l'vertical adjustment.

2. ln an apparatus forv constructing plastic columns, the combination of spaced supports, rotatable means carried by the supports for-holding ay column member, cross members carried by the supports, upstanding brackets on the cross members, meanson the brackets for holding guides in adjusted positions, and guides mounted in the brackets and adapted for vertical adjustment, for the purpose set forth.

3. ,InV an apparatus for constructing plastic columns, the combination with spaced supports, of rotatable means carried by the supports for holding a column member, cross bars on thesupports, brackets on the ends of the cro-ss bars comprising upwardly opening yokes, guide boards mounted in the brackets at opposite sides of the column position, and set screws in one member of each of the brackets for clamping the guide` 

